The only constant is change
by Foltro
Summary: Fox's life turned upside down after what happened on Sauria. Suddenly he has something more to live and fight for than just his father's memory. But is that enough to overcome an evil that threatens the entire Lylat System?
1. Kindred Souls

_Hey folks! It's been a while since I last played any Star Fox titles, yet I somehow found myself spending two entire days reading in this section which brought an idea to my head. So I just had to put it down ;)_

_I do not own Star Fox or anything related to it. I am just the owner of my humble imagination. Unfortunately, I am still not native to English so there might be some grammar mistakes (which were not intended in the first place). Enjoy!_

* * *

Dark, silent and unchanging.

That were the things he liked about space. You could be for yourself, apart from society. He did not really fit into it after all, he was merely tolerated as long as he did his job. But they would not hesitate a moment to blame him for all the messed up things in the world when they thought there was a reason.

And why should they not? Blaming someone else for things you were to lazy to do something about is easy.

"_People.." _he thought to himself _"cause and solution to all of our problems"_. He chuckled. "Gettin' a bit sentimental, are we?" he thought out loud as he looked through the wind shield of his cockpit into the black abyss of space.

"So, lets see where exactly I am. I should cancel the auto pilot before going to sleep, just wasting fuel that way." he said as he checked his instruments to pinpoint his location.

"Sauria, huh? Never heard of that planet but from the looks of it it has seen better days." The data his computer gave him only confirmed what he thought: A planet with primitive variations of life, dinosaurs in general, and different climate zones from frozen wastes over tropical beaches to moon like areas. Recently it was falling apart due to some unknown reasons.

"Ah well, let's see what the next larger planet is. As long as it's not Corneria I really do not care." He talked to himself a lot when he was alone in his ship, the sound of the engine and the regular beeping of his computer were some boring partners to talk to.

As he zoomed out his galactic map and noticed that Corneria was indeed the next larger planet he let out a small growl. He could not exactly tell why he disliked Corneria but something about that place made him nervous. He shrugged it off, "sentimental and paranoid. Way to go, kid!" he said jokingly to himself. "Anyway, I better get myself moving before my fuel runs ou...WHOA!" He closed his eyes as something went past his ship that was covered in a bright and strange light. And it was huge. He opened his eyes again and noticed that the glow had decreased so he turned his ship to get a better look at said thing. His jaw dropped almost to the floor as he saw a giant golden mask flying through space. It seemed to have come straight from Sauria's surface. "Well, that's...unexpected" he whispered to himself for lack of better words as he released the breath he subconsciously held. He shook his head to make sure that he was not imagining things. He was not. _"Good. Since I'm getting more and more paranoid, the last thing I need to add to my list of disorders is hallucinating". _

He was about to turn his fighter as he caught something in the corner of his eyes. He didn't need to really look at the speeding, quite small (compared to that huge mask) object that seemed to race after the golden face to know it was a fighter just like his. Something different caught his attention and that was the fact that it was coloured like an Arwing. And as he looked closer he noticed the emblem on the ships' side. It had the shape of a fox dashing forward. He gasped and gulped at the same time which caused him to cough. _"A member of the Star Fox team? Here in the middle of nowhere? And what is he chasing that mask-face..whatever thing for? Maybe it's just..."_

Just at that point the golden mask turned around and he could not believe what he saw. As the mask had fully turned it revealed an aged ape-face with a gray-white beard and a pair of eyes that burned with hate and hunger for power. The odd thing about it was that the face was accompanied by a pair of hands but the rest of his body was missing. Realisation was about to enter his mind as he heard a booming voice out of his communicator:

"This time you shall meet your end, Fox McCloud. It is about time I reunite you with your father!"

He was in awe and shock at the same time. _"Could it really be...Andross? And McCloud is facing him alone? Damn brave that guy, one of the few animals that fight for their convictions and not complain about how bad life is all day." _As he turned his look back to the now smirking face of Andross burning fury rose within him. Suddenly his mind jumped years back. He saw his brother's ship crushed and mangled by that face, as he stood on the bridge of the 'Dignity', the former flagship of the Cornerian army. His mind jumped back to reality and as tears made their way slowly down his cheeks he was ready to join that battle in front of him. He didn't even think about it, anger and fury that he long had buried rose within him and almost screamed for release. He was happy to oblige, that son-of-a-bitch had it coming way to long.

He contacted the Arwing that was dashing around space in order to evade Andross' attacks as he turned his own fighter to support the ape's only opposer.

* * *

Fox could not really grasp the situation he was in. It felt like a weird dream to him. _"Andross is dead...I destroyed him myself...but that's him in front of me...so it really must be him...the one who killed my father...the one who threatens the entire Lylat System...the one who used __**her**__..."_

His thoughts were interrupted by the beeping sound of his Arwings' communicator. "What? I don' have time for chit chat Slippy!" he yelled. That toad had an nick for calling him in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the voice that came out of the speakers was not Slippy's high pitched voice.

"Fox McCloud?" the voice asked as a picture of a raven appeared on Fox's screen. Fox just nodded, that raven really picked the wrong time to get himself an autograph. "Well, Dexter Raven here. I take it you fight that ugly fellow behind that mask? Just wanted you to know that you're not alone, I too have some unfinished business with Andross. Do you mind the company?" the raven asked. "Yeah, just stop talking and do something. Stay on the comm, just to be sure" Fox ordered in his usual manner. He hoped that bird was able to follow orders. "Got that" was all the raven replied.

Fox barrel rolled to evade Andross attack and got a short glance at the raven's fighter. It was pitch black and had no emblems or inscriptions on it. Nothing that provided information about it. _"A freelancer then, huh? Dexter Raven...I heard that name before...I just can't put it into the right place yet...doesn't matter...I'll simply ask him later...but he had business with Andross? That guy is not on any regular freelancer's list..."_ A painful cry cut Fox out of his line of thought. He looked up and noticed that one of Andross' eyes was replaced by a crater and a small trail of blood oozed from it.

"_That bird actually fired a bomb into Andross' eye...he really seems to be not just any freelancer...but this is my fight after all...that bastard has to be brought down for all he's done...". _Fox's mind jumped back to the blue vixen that had been trapped in that giant crystal on top of krazoa palace. She was the most beautiful animal he had ever seen. _"I just wish I knew her name.."._

"Ahem, would you stop dreaming Mr. McCloud? I said I'll fight alongside you but I surely will not babysit you here! It's just not the time to..." Dexter was cut off as Andross slammed his fist into his ship's left wing causing it to spin around several times. "Dexter, are you all right?" Fox asked but there was no answer. _"Great he's knocked out"_. Fox hammered his arwing's booster and dodged Andross rage-filled fist swings with ease. He locked onto the remaining eye of Andross, pulled the trigger and sent a bomb off right into the ape's iris. Andross screamed in agony. "All right McCloud now you die!" Andross created a deadly whirl with his fists hoping to crush Fox despite his lack of sight. Fox managed to avoid the blows that became more and more inaccurate. He saw a fist coming from his right and forced his arwing into a somersault and while doing so he charged power into a bomb. As he was in front of Andross' face again he released the trigger and shot glowing red orb into the ape's screaming mouth and made his way out of the explosions area of effect.

"Show yourself McCloud, I know you wish to see your fa..." Andross was cut off by a huge explosion that shattered the mad scientists face into thousands of shards.

"_It's done...Andross is finally dead...". _"Hey Dexter, are you ok?" the vulpine asked over the com. "Ouch, where am I?" the raven asked back as he came to. He took a look around. "I suppose that oversized monkey is done. I do not hear mad laughter and you are sill alive. Good job" Dexter still looked dizzy. "You know, you should probably follow me to the Great Fox, that spin you took didn't look exactly healthy and we can check if you are ok." Fox offered. He was really grateful that that bird showed up when he did because Fox was constantly thinking of that vixen in that crystal.

"Uh, well I guess I take you on your offer, I could use some rest and my ship could use some repairs as well. But don't mind I can fix that myself, last thing I want is to be a burden." Fox didn't expect such modesty from that freelancer since he mocked him out of his thoughts the same way Falco would and that avian was everything but modest.

"OK, just follow me, it's not that far." Fox said and with that the two pilots made their way to the Great Fox.

* * *

As they entered the docking bay of the Great Fox, Dexter and Fox climbed out of their fighters. Dexter still was dizzy form that spin he took and needed to rest a few moments against the ladder which led up to his cockpit to regain his focus. "Hrmpf" he muttered and only his will and stubbornness kept him from losing consciousness again. "Lets' move, no sense in standing around" he finally said an looked at Fox to guide the way. The vulpine nodded and made his way to the bridge.

The two animals didn't talk much while walking around the Great Fox. Dexter didn't speak much because he had to concentrate on staying awake and Fox didn't know what to talk about. But that raven's name made him curious. "Dexter Raven" he mumbled "I've heard that name before. Wait, you're that bounty hunter, aren't you? He asked with slight contempt in his voice. Fox hated bounty hunters, to kill individuals for money was wrong, no matter whether they were criminals or not. "I always thought assassins was a better term for your kind." Fox mentioned. Dexter looked up and Fox faced a pair of eyes burning with anger. "I don't kill for money! I never killed any of the people I caught! I just catch them and turn them in on a planet where they are searched. What the officials of that planet do to them is not my business. Besides, I pick my targets carefully, I don't run after petty thieves or con-artists. Most of the people I went after were murderers or worse. They lost their lives the moment the decided to kill someone. Yet, I don't kill them. There is no sense in fighting fire with fire."

Fox's jaw dropped at what Dexter told him. _"That guy certainly is not a regular bounty hunter. The way his eyes stared at me when I called him a hired killer...that was pure anger...there seems to be more to that bird..maybe..." _He was interrupted as he realised they were standing in front of the door leading to the Great Fox's bridge. Fox stepped through it and was greeted by Slippy who jolted from his position with a joyful "Woo-hoo!" and the elder hare Peppy who looked up from his screen and smiled. ROB just said in his usual way "Welcome back, Fox". They all failed to notice the black bird behind their leader.

"So Andross, huh?" Slippy said joyfully "thought we kicked him to hell for good the last time." Fox nodded "Yeah it surprised me as well to see him again, but I'm positive that he's finished now."

It was ROB to bring up the raven who placed himself in a darker corner of the bridge. "Unable to confirm identity of all people on the bridge, possible infiltration detected, suggest defensive actions". Fox stared at the robot for a second, bewildered by what he said but then he remembered Dexter who stood in a corner of the bridge, arms crossed. "But to be honest I didn't really defeat Andross all on my own. Guys, this is Dexter Raven, he was a great help to me out there". The raven moved away from the corner he stood in "Well, I would not consider myself a great help, I was unconscious for most of the battle. You defeated him in the end. But can we skip the part where we hug each other? My head rings like a bell on a wedding, I really could use some sleep." he said and added a 'Nice to meet you' but it was more mumbled than spoken. The adrenaline wore off and he started shaking. "ROB take Dexter to the medical station and check him out for any injuries. When you're done show him the spare room, so he can get some rest." ROB answered in his usual way "Affirmative, treatment of Mr. Dexter Raven in progress, would you follow me please." and with that the raven and ROB left the bridge.

Just minutes after they left, the door opened again. "I can't wait to roll with the Star Fox team again! You mind if I join you again?" said a familiar voice. Fox turned his head and saw Falco standing in front of him. Slippy and Peppy also noticed Falco and smiled. "Sure Falco, it's great to have you back!" Fox answered, glad to have his team back together. "Oh I almost forgot, I received this message for you Fox. It's from Krystal." Peppy said all of a sudden. "From who?" the vulpine asked, slightly confused. "Just see for yourself" the hare replied and played the message.

Fox heart skipped a beat when he saw that Krystal was actually the name of that vixen he could not stop thinking about. "_Krystal..."_ He completely missed the first part of her message but came to when she said "And now there is only on thing left to do". And then the door to the bridge opened again and Krystal walked through it and over to Fox who was taken completely off guard "...and that's to say to say 'thank you'." Fox blushed, unable to say a thing. "You're not shy, are you Fox?" Slippy asked teasing. "I think I'm gonna be just fine" was all Fox was able to say which made Krystal giggle and Fox blush even more.

After the Star Fox team finished their debriefing with General Pepper, which was accompanied by constant "Woo-hoos" from Slippy everyone retired to their rooms. ROB informed them that Dexter was taken care off. He had no major injuries, he has a minor concussion but nothing serious. He was now in the spare room, sleeping. With everyone gone, the only remaining people on the bridge were Krystal an Fox. He was unable to draw his eyes from her. Every time he tried to focus on something else his eyes wandered back to her beautiful face. Krystal giggled every time she noticed him staring, which caused Fox to blush, each time harder than before.

"Well, Fox I think I shall take my leave then. Thank you again for everything you've.." Fox almost jumped out of his seat as he blurted out a "NO!". Krystal flinched at the volume of his voice and took a few steps back. _"Keep calm you idiot, you're just scaring her..." _Fox cleared his throat. "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you, it's just..I really don't want you to leave. Well at least not right now. I'm not trying to force you to stay here of course. It's just that I..would..like to..um..get to know you better..and..." His voice failed to serve him which caused him to blush. He felt as if his head was like a huge red lamp. He could hardly hear anything due the blood rushing through his ears. After he calmed down a bit he could make out a gentle giggle. He looked up and saw Krystal with one hand upon her mouth so that she would not burst out into laughter. Fox could not help but to smile at that scene.

Krystal was giggling all over. _"He is just so cute. The total opposite of what you imagine of a hero. And he is one. He came to rescue me from that cursed crystal and saved me when I was about to fall into my certain death. He chased the krazoa mask into space without hesitation just to make sure I was safe. He faced dangers that others can' even imagine and yet he lacks the strength to talk to me without blushing. _She was able to regain her composure after taking a few breaths. "I must admit that it has been a long time since I travelled with others and I would gladly stay here for a while. But I don't want to burden your team or your ship." she added smiling. She secretly wished for him to ask her to stay. She wanted to get to know her saviour of course. But she found herself to be very attracted to his genuine smile, his handsome face but mostly to his heart. The heart that was obviously filled with courage and care.

"_Maybe he is the one I was looking for all my life. The kindred soul every living creature has. Maybe...just for once I will be happy in my life. After the destruction of Cerinia I felt like a husk, somewhat incomplete. But I feel safe around him"._

With that thought she looked into Fox's emerald green eyes and somethin inside her told her that this vulpine was the one she was looking for all her life.

Little did she know, for Fox was having almost exactly the same struggle in his mind and heart. _"After my father died, all I ever wished for was a family. Before I met Krystal I suggested the Star Fox team was the family I never had. I still fell like they are, but they are somehow incomplete without her...I just hope she feels the same way...". _He took a look into her ocean blue eyes and vowed that he would do anything in his power to keep her safe.

* * *

Far away from the two vulpines, in a place of total darkness, someone, or rather some_**thing**__,_ was recovering from a defeat.

"_You got lucky this time, McCloud..."_


	2. Changes

_So here is chapter number two. I don't know how I was able to get it done so quickly, must have been the Christmas spirit._

_A merry Christmas to you all! Enjoy!

* * *

  
_

Dexter stared at the ceiling of the Great Fox's spare room he was in. His headache kept him from sleep. When he would finally fall asleep he'd wake up again, so he figured he might as well stay awake. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened a few hours ago. He idled through space and suddenly witnessed Andross' rise and fall. Although he was somewhat happy about that ape being dead he knew that it could not bring his brother back from the dead. His mind went back to the life before that tragic moment when his brother was crushed beneath Andross' fists. He was happy back then. Not the pariah he was now. He remembered he had friends, too.

Dexter recalled him and his brother, Terry, playing hide and seek through the entire village they lived in. He smiled at that, it took him almost half the day to track Terry down and the other half of the day he was chasing him in order to catch him.

But all his happiness, his very life was destroyed when Terry died. The worst thing about his death was that it was impossible to get a grip on his corpse. It was torn into pieces and burned severely. Dexter was unable to even bury his brother properly.

After that horrible event Dexter fell apart, he withdrew himself from his friends and the other people in his village, his days were all gray in color. At some point he decided to leave his home, the memories of Terry were too much to take for him. Everything reminded Dexter of him. A few months later he found himself chasing the worst scum the galaxy had to offer. That was how he started his career as a bounty hunter, how he became an outcast, a wanderer with no place to call home. He wanted to put some sense in his brother's death.

As he lay in bed he thought about how welcome he felt on the Great Fox. It was as if he belonged here, as if he finally found home. He cast the thought away, probably just the aftermath of the concussion. He sat up on the bed, he needed something to do, something to calm his mind. He peeked around the dark room when an idea came to his mind. He hadn't done it for quite some time but now he felt it was the right thing to do. He stood up and walked over to where he placed his dark brown leather jacket. He reached for a pocket inside it and found what he was looking for. He moved his hand out the jacket and looked at the wooden flute he held in his hand. The flute his mother gave him shortly before she died. He vowed at her grave that he would learn to play it properly. And he had, he was actually quite good at it. He took the flute to his mouth and began to play a melody he knew by heart, a melody that spoke of sadness and grief. What he didn't know was the fact, that ROB activated the intercom in his room so the others could react quickly should his condition get worse. Now the melody Dexter was playing could be heard all over the Great Fox.

* * *

Across the hallway Fox was unable to get to sleep as well although it had nothing to do with any injury he might got from his fight with Andross. He found it hard to sleep because Krystal slept soundly across his room in his bed while he was on his couch. His heart was beating so hard against his chest that he feared he might wake his sleeping beauty from her slumber. As much as he wished to get to know her better he thought she could use some rest after being held prisoner in a strange crystal for god knows how long. And he surely not wanted to rush things on her, heck, he didn't even know whether his feelings were reciprocated or not. All he knew was that he acted like a complete duffer around her; he could not even talk to her casually without blushing because he either said or did something foolish. But this told him that his feelings for her were genuine. He was around women before and he could not recall doing anything nearly as awkward as his behavior around Krystal.

He turned to his other side so he could watch Krystal sleeping. The mere sight of her in _his_ bed sent a strange but yet comfortable warmth through his entire body. Again he was struck by her simple beauty, she didn't have to make or dress herself up in order to look gorgeous. And as she turned around in her sleep and Fox was able to see her sleeping face he felt him falling even harder for her. She looked peaceful, at ease, as if nothing in the world could hurt her. Fox secretly hoped that her face had this expression due to the fact that she was in his bed, that she somehow she felt his presence around her to protect her. He knew for certain that he would do anything to keep her safe and comfortable. He got the impression that she never really had anything like a family and he was determined to give that to her.

As he turned around again for another hopeless try to fall asleep he noticed something. His ears twitched and he listened more carefully. As he concentrated on the strange noises he noticed them to actually be related to each other. _A melody! And it sounds like they come from a flute. No one on this ship knows how to play any instrument and Krystal is sleeping so…_then realization hit him _Dexter! ROB had activated the intercom so we could keep an eye on him, that's why I can hear him. _He focused his ears completely on the melody Dexter played on the flute and you didn't need to be a musician to tell that this certain melody expressed extreme sadness. Fox couldn't help it but tears made their way silently down his cheeks. He heard of the effect music had on your emotions but he never believed that it could trigger such extreme reactions._ I'm definitely not the most sensitive guy around here but…hell…that tune could make a stone cry. _He turned onto his back again and his thoughts wandered off again. The last time he felt as sad as now was when Peppy told him that his father died. In that moment he felt like some part of him died as well and as a new wave of tears forced itself onto his now bloodshot eyes he noticed Krystal stirring and moaning in her sleep.

* * *

_Krystal was inside her parents' spaceship. She had been there often to play hide and seek with her friends or when she needed to be alone. The silence it offered always helped her to clear her mind. She spent hours in there studying all the gadgets and buttons that were scattered around the cockpit. It was a place she was happy at. But this time it was different, something felt not right about being here. Then she remembered why. Cerinia was falling apart, it seemed like nature itself had decided to end the existence of one of its own creations. The seas were boiling which cause all the fish to die, the forests died because of acid rain and the very air became more and more polluted. Earthquakes tore the landscape apart, separating areas and people that belonged together and they too perished under nature's raw brutality._

_ It was when her parents told her to go into the ship and prepare it for taking off. She and her father had often practiced it so she didn't really thought about what her parents were up to. She started the engine and sat watching her parents. She heard her mother crying but Krystal didn't understand why. Meanwhile her father was carrying all sorts of things inside the ship and amongst them was a tiny, metallic object she hadn't seen before. She knew she was supposed to sit and wait for her father but her curiosity got the better of her so she got up and walked over to the strange object. Just as she was about to touch it her father came back onto the ship and as he noticed her staring at her with an angry expression on his face. She flinched way from the tiny item, frightened, her father never was angry with her so she figured she clearly must have done something wrong this time. She started crying._

_"Krystal you know you were to wait for me when the ship was ready to go!" He almost screamed which caused her to cry. "Sorry, daddy" she managed to sob through her tears and made her way slowly back to the cockpit. She sat down on one of the chairs and kept her gaze to the floor, ashamed that she upset her father._

_"Krystal I need you to listen to me very carefully now, OK?" he asked her, now with his usual calm voice but Krystal also noticed a small amount of sadness in it. She nodded and looked into her father's eyes._

_"You may not fully understand what is happening right now bur one day you will, trust me. Now what I need you to is to fly as far away from this planet as you can, can you do that for your daddy hmm?" he said which left the little vixen in front of him a little confused. "Why do I need to fly? Are you and mommy not coming along?" she replied at the edge of tears. Her father lowered his head. "I'm afraid we can't, dear. We don't have enough food for all the three of us. So your mother and I will stay behind so you can try to start your life anew somewhere more comfortable than here. Now go kid, know that we always love you. Farewell Krystal" he almost whispered the last part._

_ Before Krystal could do anything her father hit the automatic start button and left the ship as the loading ramp slowly closed. Krystal screamed and cried inside. "No, mommy, daddy, I don't want to leave home. I don't want to be alone. Please stop it, please" she frantically punched the metal hull of the ship not knowing what to do. As the ship left the atmosphere she still cried her heart out when she suddenly noticed a bright light outside the wind shield. She looked up and the last thing she before her ship went into hyperspace was the sight of Cerinia, her very home, exploding into a huge white fireball.

* * *

_

"NOOO! Mommy, daddy…" Fox was awake at an instant. He jumped from his couch and went over to the bed where Krystal was tossing herself from one side to the other. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat as Fox gently tried to wake her. "Hush, Krystal it's okay. You're safe; no one is going to hurt you." He tried his best to somehow calm her down. He scooped her up and held her tight to his chest.

Krystal was in horror. She hadn't had that nightmare for some time now. She tossed herself around the bed, screaming and feeling helpless. She knew that no one would be there for her. No one ever was. Just as that thought passed her mind she could make out a gentle voice that sounded familiar somehow. "Hush, Krystal it's okay. You're safe; no one is going to hurt you. It's me, Fox. I'm here Krystal, please wake up!" he said. _Fox…_

Her eyes flickered several times and when she opened her eyes and her vision became less and less blurry she found herself in Fox's arms while he was gently whispering comforting words into her ear. She put her arms around his neck, grateful that he was there in her time of need. She rested her head on his chest and began to cry her very heart out. She never had someone to just hold her and let her cry for a very long time, in fact since… just the mere thought of the destruction her home world forced her to sob heavily, her tears shaping a stream that went all the way down her cheeks and into Fox's shirt. He was gently moving one of his hands up and down her back to comfort her.

"Thank you, Fox" she whispered as her grip around his her neck became slightly firmer. She pressed her cheek against his and closed her eyes again, thanking fate that it brought her to him. They pulled apart from each other and as Krystal saw Fox's face her heart melted at an instant. She didn't need to use her telepathic abilities to see what was on his mind, in fact it was written all over his face. She could see concern as well as relief. But there was a hint of something more, something he had hidden a very long time. The slight smile that came across his face was enough to let her know that he would always be there for her. She let go of him and lay back onto the bed. With a smile on her face she fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

The next day Fox found himself unable to really focus his thoughts. He was constantly thinking about how frightened Krystal looked last night. He figured her nightmare was triggered by Dexter playing on his flute. He was pissed that Dexter's music put Krystal through such pain but he knew that he didn't do it on purpose. Heck, even Fox forgot that ROB turned that darn intercom on. But apart from these three no one had noticed anything during the night. They all seemed to have slept like a stone and for that Fox was grateful. He didn't have to explain anything to the others, he was sure that Falco would poke him around for getting soft. Only one thing remained to finish that was to speak to Dexter.

After he put the blanket around Krystal's shoulders again (followed by a sigh at how beautiful she looked) he walked over the spare room said raven was in. He knocked on the door and walked in. The room looked empty like no one ever had been here but he could hear the shower running in the bathroom. "Hey Dexter, when you're finished in there I'd like to have a word with you!" he shouted towards the bathroom. "Alright" was all that came back. _Not a man of many words I see. Doesn't matter, he only needs to understand._

After a couple of minutes the flow of water stopped and Dexter walked out of the bathroom, already dressed with his brown leather jacket and black jeans. The only bright thing about his outfit was the white scarf he was binding around his neck before he spoke up to Fox. "So?" he merely asked. Fox was a bit startled by his taciturn demeanor.

"Someone was playing on a flute last night and since I know of nobody on this vessel who is capable of that, I figured it was you" the raven nodded but had a slightly puzzled look on his face "Well, in general I wouldn't care about that, but the tune you played last night happened to put Krystal through a really heavy nightmare. I don't know what it was about but she was crying and clearly in pain. Now, I know you didn't do on purpose but should you ever harm her in any way my fist will have the next talk with you, is that clear?" his voice turned into an angry growl at the end of his speech.

He didn't notice Dexter's face paling through his black feathers but could see the intimidated look on his face. The raven cleared his throat and lowered his head, obviously in shame "I'm truly sorry that I put her through this. But as you said, it was not on purpose. I simply needed to clear my mind after what happened with Andross. The flute was a gift from my mother before she died and playing on it always granted me some pace of mind. Seeing that monkey in person invoked some unpleasant memories of mine as well. I'll apologize to her as soon as possible" he replied still looking towards the ground. Fox was puzzled for he had expected Dexter to act like a complete smartass, like Falco would, but there was obviously more to that raven than met the eye. Fox noticed the sad look on Dexter's face and wondered what past this man might possibly had with Andross. _I'll simply ask him later. Since Andross is finished there is no need to hurry. Not like I can't relate to it, Andross killed my father. _

"So when you're done in here I'd like you to come to the bridge. There is something I want to discuss with the entire team and General Pepper before we reach Corneria." Dexter flinched at the mention of Fox's home planet. "Hey, you okay? Is something wrong with going to Corneria?" Fox asked, that bird was constantly puzzling him. "No it's okay, it's just that I don't feel too well around that place. Don't ask me why, I don't know, call me paranoid." Was all Dexter said and then turned around to store his few belongings into his backpack. Fox shook his head and walked away from the room and made his way to his room to check on Krystal.

Dexter felt like hell. He felt guilty for hurting Krystal. He resented people in general but he didn't wish them to be hurt, no one deserved it. And then there was Fox. He clearly cared a great deal for the blue vixen. Normally Dexter would shrug off that kind of threat but Fox had this fiery glow in his eyes that gave away how furious he actually was. Dexter knew from experience that this glow meant serious trouble. So it was better to back down, for he clearly didn't want to antagonize Fox. Dexter felt some kind of kinship with the vulpine, maybe it was because they both were connected through their hatred against Andross, he couldn't really put his finger on it. He finished packing his backpack and walked towards the bridge as Fox told him to, wondering what he could want to discuss. Especially with General Pepper in the picture.

* * *

As Fox entered his room he noticed that Krystal was already up and was starting to dress herself. He found her standing in the middle of the room with just a towel around her body. He immediately felt the blood in his cheeks and turned around, wishing she didn't notice how his eyes widened when he saw her.

Little did he know, she did notice his presence but not her eyes but with her being a telepath. And it was hard to miss his presence, it was a bright white beacon practically burning with bravery, care and a strong sense of justice. She also notices his embarrassment when he realized she was just wearing a towel. His modesty and clumsiness around her made her giggle. "It's alright Fox, I know you're here. But thanks for turning around" she said with a smile.

"But how did you..?" Fox was completely confused; he hadn't made any kind of noise, so how could she notice him. His confusion made her giggle even harder "No harm done. You must know I'm a telepath."

Fox gulped. That meant she could read his mind and possibly find out that… He was cut off by Krystal. "Don't worry Fox, I don't read minds if I can avoid it. I don't like prying one someone's privacy. So relax." She said in her calm and sweet voice that Fox found it impossible to resist.

"It's okay. You can turn around again" she said still slightly giggling. He did and was (again) struck by her beauty. For a moment he completely forgot where or who he was and before he could really regain himself she walked over to him and pulled him into a gentle hug. "Thank you for being there for me last night" she said and gave him a slight kiss on his cheek. Fox was certain he had passed out if it was not for his heart that hammered against his chest. "Uh…uhm…well..don't…mention it" was all he was able to say. "See you on the bridge then Fox" she said and walked out of the room.

* * *

As Dexter reached the bridge he was greeted warmly by Slippy and Peppy, who smiled at him. Dexter just lowered his head. He didn't deserve this kindness; he was no one special, just another poor soul that tried to get by. Then he made out a voice. "So you're the great Dexter Raven, eh?" it was Falco who spoke up. Dexter immediately hated him. That arrogant and selfish note in his voice made his blood boil. A small growl escaped his throat. "What's it to you?" he asked back looking Falco straight in the eye. "Just wondered if got any fancy freelancer stories you could tell." The avian asked, his arms crossed before his chest.

"I don't" was all that Dexter answered, he didn't want to talk to Falco. His patience with him was stressed nearly to its edge. "Well, that's a shame, isn't it? If you want though, I could tell you something of Falco Lombardi, the best pilot in the galaxy!" the avian exclaimed.

That was enough, Dexter's anger got the better of him. "Why don't you tell your so called heroics to the wall, show-off, I doubt anyone wants to listen to your pathetic tales!" the raven growled back while he shot Falco a glare that could break steel walls. "Oh you'll be sorry for that, blacky" Falco responded and aimed to punch Dexter in the face.

_Rookie_. Aiming for someone's face to open a fight was the worst mistake you could make. Everyone expects the first hit to be aimed at the face. Dexter swiftly shoved Falco's fist away and wrapped his right arm around Falco's, forcing him to bow down. At the same time Dexter's knee shot up and hit Falco's face. The combined forces of Falco bowing down and Dexter's knee speeding up forced the blue bird into half a backflip that was accompanied by the sound of a breaking nose. Falco crashed to the floor and lay there for a couple of moments before he came to again and slowly tried to stand up.

The bridge was completely silent, neither Peppy nor Slippy could believe what they saw. Falco never lost a fight but that raven managed to take him down with one single hit. They could only imagine what damage that would deal to his ego. "You might want to consider your attitude, it obviously doesn't help you" Dexter growled to Falco. The blue avian stood up held his bleeding nose. Just as he was about to say something, door to the bridge opened and Fox and Krystal walked in. "What the hell is going on here?" Fox harshly asked at the sight of Falco's bleeding nose. Peppy was the one to answer it. "Well, Falco let out his usual attitude and Dexter clearly didn't like it. He didn't want to talk to Falco but our bleeding friend here couldn't drop it. Dexter told him to shut up and that's when Falco attacked him. A few moments later he was on the ground, his nose seems to be broken. So it's obviously not Dexter's fault, he merely defended himself. If you ask me, Falco had this coming all along" the elder hare said with a slight grin on his face.

Fox just nodded. "Seems like you found your match, old friend." He added t Falco as he walked past him. "ROB, open a com channel to General Pepper please" he ordered in his usual voice. A few seconds later the general's face appeared as a hologram on the bridge. "Star Fox. What's the matter of this call, Fox? We already spoke about your payment." The canine asked, obviously a bit puzzled. "It's not about the payment General. I want your permission to add Krystal and Dexter to the Star Fox crew." Fox answered and everything went silent.

Krystal was beaming on the inside. Fox asked if she could stay with him for good. It didn't bother her that he didn't ask her before, she was happy that she could be around her savior.

Dexter lowered his head again. He didn't deserve to be part of the Star Fox team. But he wouldn't object if Fox wanted him to stay. He started to consider Fox as a…_friend._

Falco could not believe what he heard. "Do you honestly want to make this sorry excuse of a freelancer and this _girl _part of your team? The air on that weird dinosaur planet must have clouded your mind, McCloud!" the avian growled. "Nope, my mind is set. I want to make them a part of the team. Deal with it!" Fox shot back. "Fine! Have it your way, I'm outta here." And with that Falco walked out of the room.

Only moments later his arwing went past the bridge's wind shield.

"Well, Fox it's your team after all and if you think those two will fit into it that's just fine with me. Permission granted, I will fill out the documents but they will need to sign them personally, I'm afraid." The general said. "Alright, we already planned to stop by your office so there won't be a problem. See you soon general" the vulpine answered. "Alright, Star Fox! Pepper out!" with that the general's face disappeared.

"Everyone get ready, we are entering the Cornerian atmosphere!" Fox exclaimed rather happily while the Great Fox caught fire as it entered the skies above Corneria City.


	3. Off to the stars

_And here is another chapter. I'm still bewildered about how quick I wrote all this stuff down. I must have some kind of flow. Anyhow enjoy! The next one will have more acion it I promise, I simply had to put this all down so you may get a better understanding of Dexter's person._

* * *

The closer they got to the Cornerian Army base the more uncomfortable Dexter got. He still couldn't put his finger on what it was about that place that set his alarms off. _Maybe it's __because I blame them for Terry's death. But I closed that chapter of my life already. Or have I? I never could bury him, what if he never found any rest? _He thought to himself. Hi didn't know. He was not the spiritual kind of guy so it was not something about his soul still wandering the galaxy. But the fact that he never could say goodbye to him angered him. Then he figured out, he truly blamed the Cornerian Army for the death of his brother. After all, someone in command gave the order for his brother's ship to assault on Andross al those years back. If they hadn't he might still be alive.

His blood began to boil and his gaze darkened with every moment they got closer to Pepper's office. He didn't speak during the whole ride, no one did. The only sounds you could hear were silent whispers of "Wow" from Krystal. She had obviously never been to a city like Corneria.

When they finally reached the base they all went silently towards the elevator. As they made their way some soldiers saluted Fox and looked at him with pure admiration on their faces. Yet when they noticed Dexter that admiration turned into contempt and hate. He knew that bounty hunters were not looked upon with kindness but the glares the soldiers shot him told him all he needed to know. They despised him. The fact that he was once one of them made it all worse. Anger rose within Dexter and just his mere will kept him from snapping some necks right then. He let out a small sigh of relief when they finally entered the elevator and the doors closed. His body was shaking with anger nonetheless.

* * *

Krystal sensed the hatred and anger that surrounded Dexter like a burning aura and she was a little frightened about how angry he could get. He was calm and reserved all the time she had seen him on the Great Fox, well apart from his encounter with Falco but that had been because he was defending himself. In addition to this, his raw fury built up a strong and almost impenetrable shield around his thoughts, so Krystal was unable to find out where that rage had its origin. But she figured it had to be something personal. Mere contempt for government forces didn't cause that amount of hatred. She moved up to Fox and held onto his arm, seeking shelter from Dexter. He looked like he would kill anyone that even thought about playing any kind of game with him therefor she wanted to be out of his reach.

Fox was a bit puzzled when Krystal held onto his arm but he didn't mind it. He was happy having her as close as possible. He smiled to himself, that lovely blue vixen had him completely under her spell. When they reached General Pepper's office at last his secretary, a white cat, spoke up to them. "Do you have an appointment, Mr..?" she asked. "McCloud" Fox answered "And yes, we do have an appointment, Miss" he politely answered. The cat looked on her screen and nodded. "Please go inside, General Pepper is waiting for you" she said in a monotone voice that gave away how long she has actually been a secretary.

Fox, Krystal and Dexter had just walked into Pepper's office when they were greeted by a hearty voice. "Ah it's so god to see you, Fox. And since we all know why you are here, I shall simply give you the documents that make you two official members of the Star Fox team. Oh, and before I forget, I need a last name for Ms. Krystal so we can finish the paperwork" the General pointed out. Krystal looked to the ground, slightly sad. "But...I don't have a last name. My name is just Krystal" she explained her voice almost a whisper. Fox put his hand on her shoulder, hoping he could offer her some comfort. "Hey, don't worry, it's alright. General? Would it be sufficient when we gave her my last name?" he asked while he faced the General again and therefor missed the smile that emerged on Krystal's face. "I guess that should work, if that is okay with you Krystal?" Krystal looked up to face the General "Yeah, I'd like that" she said and the expression on her face sent a warm feeling through Fox's entire body.

After Krystal and Dexter signed their documents, the General turned to Fox. "One last thing though Fox. Do you really want_ him _on your team?" Pepper asked as he tilted his head towards Dexter. Before Fox could even think of an answer Dexter spoke. "I can hear you General. If you got a problem with me being here, name it. Otherwise, shut your flytrap." The raven growled. Krystal flinched at the hatred in his voice and Pepper's eyes widened in anger as well. "How dare you.." Dexter cut him off "How dare I what? Disrespect you? I'm just treating you the way you treated me. So before you waste your breath throwing accusations at me, you may want to overthink your attitude. We are the same, simple symbols on your uniform don't make me worth less or you worth more" Dexter said, still growling while he shot Pepper a glare that got even Fox a bit scared. He remembered that Dexter told him that he felt uncomfortable around Corneria but Fox had put it off as paranoia. Now he saw that he must have some sort of history with Corneria, a very bad history if it made him that angry.

"You were once part of this army, Dexter. What would your brother think of you, if he could see you now?" the General barked back at Dexter. "My brother is dead _thanks _to this very army. And if he really could see what happens here right now he would surely kick your sorry butt!" Dexter's growl turned into an angry yell. Right after saying that, he turned around and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him. The room was silent for a few moments before General Pepper cleared his throat. "Well, after seeing this I presume you want to reconsider inviting that troublesome raven to your team." Pepper said, his voice was filled with contempt for Dexter. "He had a point, General" Krystal answered before Fox could begin to respond "You disrespected him right from the beginning and he simply threw that behavior back to you." She went on. Fox nodded in agreement. "He was a great help when I fought Andross and he proved himself to be very capable. We all have our personal issues, General. But my mind is set, I want him on the team." He spoke with determination in his voice. Pepper simply grunted "Fine, it's your decision. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business I must attend to." And with that Fox and Krystal left the room and found Dexter leaning against a wall, arms crossed. "Sorry" he simply said in his usual taciturn way. "Don't be, you had every reason to be upset. Now let's get out of here. I could use something to eat, what about you?" Fox responded while a sly grin spread across his face. The others nodded and they made their way out of the base.

* * *

After they finished eating Dexter mentioned he would go back to the Great Fox in order to repair his fighter, despite that Fox told him that Slippy had probably already finished it. "That raven is a complete mystery to me." Fox confessed as he and Krystal walked out of the restaurant they had eaten in. "Hmm. But you think of him as a friend, don't you?" Krystal said, smiling at him. "How do you..? Ah, I see, telepath. Yeah, I consider him a friend. He saved my life when we fought Andross. Had he not knocked me out of my thoughts I'd surely not be standing here" Fox honestly mentioned. "And what were you thinking about?" she asked giggling. She already knew the answer. She knew he had thought about her, about how beautiful she was, how angry he was that Andross used her. It had warmed her heart but she wanted him to say it himself, wanted it to be more honest.

"I, uh, well, uh, was thinking about.. you know, stuff" me muttered. He didn't want to confess had been thinking about her all the time. Well, at least he didn't want to confess it right now. But then he remembered that Krystal was a telepath so if she really wanted to know, she would simply read his mind without him even noticing. So he'd rather be honest with her. "And that 'stuff' I've been thinking about then was, well, it was.. you" he whispered, while his cheeks went crimson under his fur.

When Dexter arrived at the Great Fox's docking bay, he noticed that his fighter had slightly changed. Actually he realized that it had parts installed that he only knew from the Arwings. His jaw dropped in awe as it hit him that Slippy had already repaired and upgraded his ship. He hit the intercom on the docking bay "Slippy?" he simply asked. After a couple of moments a door opened and the green toad walked in, whistling. As he noticed Dexter his whistling immediately stopped and his facial expression turned from joy to fear. Dexter could imagine that he was afraid of him after he showed Falco his place. But he was grateful, that toad had saved him hours of work and not only repaired his fighter but even raised it to the Star Fox standard. "Ease up, Slippy. I'm not mad at you. In fact, it's quite the opposite. As I see you had some time with my ship."

"Yup, I figured since your part of the team and all, your fighter could use some improvements" Slippy replied, obviously relieved that Dexter didn't beat the crap out of him for working on his vessel without asking. "So I added some G-diffusers and an advanced shield to your ship. Apart from that she was already up to date; I hardly found anything to do on her." He went on. "You took good care of you ship." The toad concluded. "Well, I suppose my life depended on it being in good shape, so I figure I just had to. I owe you one, Slip." Dexter replied and Slippy was slightly surprised that there was this kind side to that strange bird. He started whistling again and walked away from the docking bay while Dexter made his way to the bridge in order to do some work there. He would not let these people; that were rapidly becoming his friends (he never thought that was actually possible) do all the work. He wanted to earn his place within the Star Fox team; he didn't take it for granted.

* * *

Meanwhile Fox had taken Krystal to the dogfight simulator to see how she handled herself in a fight. They had several one-on-one matches which he all lost. Her telepathy told her when he was about to fire, when he would pull off which maneuver, where he headed. All those things gave her the superior position. But it was not only her telepathy that made her win all the time. Fox noticed she was a natural at flying; she pulled off some very difficult moves (that took even Fox weeks of constant practice) with ease. When they got out from the simulator he could only stare and wonder. His face must have been quite ridiculous for she burst straight into laughter when she saw him. Her infectious hilarity had him soon chuckling as well and he couldn't care less if he was actually laughing at himself.

Their laughter was cut off when Fox's wrist communicator blinked and Peppy's face appeared before him. "Fox, you need to come to the Great Fox immediately. General Pepper just called in and said he had something for us. It sounded quite urgent." "We're on our way, Fox out!" he replied in his usual manner and gestured Krystal to follow him.

"Alright General, we're all gathered. So what is so urgent that we can't even have half a day off?" Fox asked the floating face in front of him. He normally wouldn't mind going from one job straight to another, but he fathomed that Slippy and Peppy could use some time off the Great Fox. "I won't lie to you Fox. The situation is dire. We have received a very disturbing report from one of our outposts in the outer rim of the Lylat System." The General said. "What's so disturbing about it? The outer rim isn't known for being peaceful. "Fox answered. "Well, before we lost contact with the outpost, a soldier claimed that venomian forces were marching towards them. Now that would normally not be unusual, the Venomians attack our outposts from time to time. But this time they were organized and well equipped. Moreover, said soldier claimed that they were carrying strange banners; banners with an ape's face on it." Pepper explained. The mention of that banner forced everyone apart from Krystal to pale immediately. Seeing Krystal's confused look, Dexter spoke up to her. "That banner the General mentioned was last used about 8 years ago, when Andross waged his senseless war on the Lylat System. Since his defeat back then no one has ever seen those flags again. That means.." Dexter left the sentence unfinished. "That Andross is still alive." General Pepper finished for him.

Krystal looked even more confused. "But Fox and Dexter killed him!" was all she could say. The painful memories of being trapped in that crystal without food or water came back to her mind. "How is that possible? I saw him ripped into shreds myself!" Fox just shook his head, unable to believe what he heard. "I don't know. But he seems to have something that keeps him alive. Though I don't have the slightest clue what that could be" the canine guessed. "What happened to the people on the station?" Krystal wanted to know. "It seems they were overrun by the Venomians. I doubt they left anyone alive, they never took prisoners as far as I remember." Krystal wondered how the General could be so calm when so many people died. She figured he must have seen many horrible things in his life. "We better get going then. Where to?" Dexter asked. "The outpost is located on Tereja. But I must warn you: we're not on best terms with the Terejans" General Pepper explained. "This means they're likely to support the Venomians. Great just great" Fox sighed. "Alright General, we're on our way. Fox out!" with that Fox turned to ROB. "ROB, plot a course to Tereja and when you search for a landing zone keep a 15-mile distance to any Terejan settlements but get us as close to the outpost as possible." "Affirmative, arrival in approximately 8 hours" ROB replied in his synthetic voice.

"Dexter, since bounty hunters get around a lot I wondered if you got any more intel on Tereja. Have you ever been there?" Fox wanted to know. With Andross in the picture he wanted to have as much information as he was able to gather. The raven shook his head, much to Fox's disappointment. "I've been in the outer rim a couple of times. Fugitives like to go there. But any sane bounty hunter would never willingly set foot there. The people there don't like outsiders. Especially when they happen to be connected to Corneria. That's what I heard anyway, don't know if it's true." Dexter answered, "Better safe than sorry then" Peppy mentioned. Without a word, Dexter walked over to the controls of the main gun and ran some scans, he wanted to get familiar with it, should he ever need to use it. "You can get some rest as well, you two. I'll handle things for now" Fox said as he looked over to Krystal who seemed to be a bit lost. She smiled and walked away while Dexter remained glued to the screen in front of him. He then turned his head towards Dexter "Hey, you don't need to be up here." He said to him. The raven looked up from his task "Got that, just returning the favor" he murmured and turned his head back to the screen.

"What favor?" Fox asked, that taciturn raven had him confused again. Dexter sighed "Inviting me to your team. You didn't have to do that." Fox shrugged "It felt like the right thing to do" he simply replied. "Sorry for what happened to you brother" the vulpine added. "Come to think of it, I don't really know anything about you except your name. What's your story?" Fox queried.

Dexter let out a heavy sigh before answering. "Well, I guess I owe you an explanation. So, my brother Terry and I were born on Ravi. Our parents were miners; I think that's where my mistrust to anyone strange comes from. You know, miners need to rely on their fellows to keep each other's back. On my travels as a bounty hunter I had to deal with a lot of different people, but there was one thing they all had in common; they all let me down at some point. I even trusted some of them with my life, so I faced death quite often. So I just figured that people in General were selfish douchebags." Fox was a bit surprised that Dexter could actually speak that much. "Anyhow, after my parents died, Terry and I joined the Cornerian army. We were in that last fight against Andross where you took him out in the end. But before you arrived someone ordered the ship my brother was on to start an assault on Andross. As you can imagine it didn't end well, the entire crew got killed. I was stationed aboard the Dignity when it happened. Not long after that I was discharged dishonorably because I constantly questioned my superior's orders. Even my friends who always claimed they'd be there for me in my time of need abandoned me. That's when I began to make my living as a bounty hunter." Dexter finished. He looked to the ground and Fox thought he could see water gathering in the raven's eyes. _That guy went through hell and survived it. No wonder he acts the way he __does. Things like that change you forever. _

"Anyhow, thanks for listening. It feels good to have it off my chest." The raven spoke with clear relief in his voice. "That's what friends are for" Fox responded as he offered his hand to Dexter. "Friends it is then" the raven said and as he shook Fox's hand, a genuine smile spread across his face. The first time he truly smiled in years.

* * *

The rest of the trip Fox and Dexter barely spoke. Fox didn't know what he could possibly talk about after Dexter's revelation. However, Dexter was in no mood to say anything more, he had work to do, he could talk later. Fox noticed the determination the raven put in working on the main turret. He was totally focused and the vulpine could imagine that Dexter probably forgot where he was while getting familiar with the Great Fox's controls. When they reached Tereja's orbit, Fox summoned everyone onto the bridge. "So that's Tereja? Looks a lot like Titania if you ask me, all desert and stuff" Slippy said as he ran some scans on the planet's atmosphere. "Hmm that doesn't look to good. According to this there are constant sandstorms on Tereja. So I presume you take some appropriate clothing with you. And protect your eyes from the storm, sand at that speed is more than just dangerous" the toad went on.

"Well, that's a little of a setback but it doesn't make the whole operation impossible. Does the sand somehow afflict our Arwings?" Fox asked. "Apart from scratching off your paint there won't be much damage" Slippy answered in his high pitched voice. "Alright, let's better get going. The sooner we start the sooner we'll be done with it" Fox said. Just as he turned towards the door, Slippy's computer started to beep frantically. "What the heck? Why is the system reading a massive energy spike when there is nothing on this world that uses juice apart from occasional lightning storms!" Slippy yelled.

"I can tell you why" Dexter replied as he pointed towards Tereja. They all looked up and their faces froze immediately. "That is not possible!" Fox whispered while Peppy fell to the floor, obviously in shock. Slippy's mouth opened and closed unable to form any words on what he was seeing right now. Krystal looked around the people on the bridge, she didn't understand what they were so scared of but she could tell that it was bad. "What's wrong?" she asked innocently. Then she noticed the huge pillar of blue light on Tereja's surface. "What is that?" she queried further. Fox cleared his throat and shook his head several times, trying to somehow wake himself from a very bad dream. "That light you see is…" he was unable to finish. Then he gathered himself. "It's a core-fusion bomb. It merges atomic cores of the same chemical element to form a new one. But the one created has less mass than it should have normally. That deviation however is unleashed in pure energy, And by the looks of it, it seems that the deviation is huge in this case." He whispered his voice was lacking the strength to speak at its usual volume.

"But all the people down there! We need to help them!" the blue vixen exclaimed. Dexter and Fox nodded. "We better get down there. We may be able to salvage some information on the bomb. Whoever worked on that thing might have left some notes we could use" Dexter said while he followed Fox and Krystal to the docking bay.

Only moments later the three Arwings left the Great Fox and moved towards the barren planes of Tereja.


	4. Loose Ends

_And here goes another one. Not quite as long as I hoped. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

_

Tereja was not the kind of planet you chose to live on. Most of the people didn't even know Tereja existed and those who did know didn't want to live there. Its surface mostly consisted of rocks and sand, a few creeks here and there and of course the huts of the Terejan natives. They were made out of what seemed like clay and mud which the wind dried and hardened out. They had the shape of an orb with its lower half buried in the sand.

When Fox, Krystal and Dexter reached the surface they were greeted by a devastating sandstorm. They could hear the sand clashing with their wind shields, carving small scratches into the glass. Fox sighed; Slippy would probably kill him for it. He looked around and noticed that Dexter was already outside his fighter. He had his white scarf bound around his beak and wore visors that worked like sunglasses. In addition he had a headset on his right ear, so hear could speak to the others despite the noise the storm made. This was when Fox noticed that the raven was actually left handed, for Dexter had his blaster holstered on the left side. Fox shook his head again. _I should stop being surprised. He manages to do that far too often. _

While Dexter was outside, Fox and Krystal put on their helmets that provided the same services as Dexter's outfit. The two vulpines jumped out of their Arwings and landed on the sand, the noise of their impact was completely swallowed by the howling of the sandstorm they were in. Dexter raised his hand to his headset "Can you hear me?" he asked. Fox nodded while Krystal took a look around. "Yup, loud and clear" she said finally. Dexter nodded and scanned the area. "Hmm, I don't see any kind of outpost here. Maybe it's the storm or it blew up in the explosion as well" his voice sounded strange due to his headset. "ROB, can you tell us where the outpost exactly is? If it's still standing, that is" the vulpine asked but it actually sounded more like and order. "The outpost lies 1.385 miles to the north-east of your current position. Unable to check for signs of life, the sandstorm clouds the scanner" ROB said. "Guess we'll have to walk then. Stick together, I imagine it's quite easy to get lost out here" Fox proposed and with that the trio set off into the desert of Tereja.

It took almost 2 hours before the outpost came in sight. The shifting sand and the storm made walking very difficult. They barely spoke the entire time they were walking. The only thing that disturbed the silence was Dexter's cursing from time to time. "Strange, the explosion should have obliterated this place. How is it possible that it still stands?" Krystal asked over the com. "I guess it must've been shielded somehow" Fox replied and tipped his wrist communicator. "Hey Slippy do you read any energy signatures down here?" he queried. "Nothing out of the ordinary. All the values are as they should be" the green toad answered. "Maybe we should take a look inside that outpost? Maybe there is someone inside who needs help!" Krystal demanded. "Wouldn't you sense someone in there?" Fox asked which made Dexter looking at him with a frown. The vulpine pointed over to the blue vixen that now had closed her eyes and mouthed a 'telepath'. Dexter just nodded and turned his head back to the building, scanning it for any signs of danger.

"The storm is covering everything. I can barely sense you around me although you stand right next to me. So if there is someone inside, I wouldn't know" she confessed. "Let's take a look inside then. Standing here won't help anyone" Fox explained.

Dexter's gaze was still focused on the building in front of him. It was of usual Cornerian architecture but a voice in his head was telling him not to go inside. He had a feeling that there were things inside that he'd rather not know of. But if Fox wanted to go inside he wouldn't object, he'd rather be able to watch his friend's (that thing still sounded weird inside his head) back. "I have a bad feeling about this" he murmured before following the two foxes through the door.

As soon as they passed the door said voice inside Dexter was screaming at him to turn around and get as far away from this place as possible. He banished the thought from his mind and focused on the task ahead. The corridors were made of dark blue metal plates and every few steps there was a light on the wall. This however, was unable to spend light for the entire corridor so there were spots filled with dark shadows. Each corridor was a drenched in a mixture of black and blue colors. Dexter didn't understand how people could be working here willingly; those walls would make you depressive and anxious in no time. There were a few doors here and there but not a single thing was out of the ordinary behind them. He couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched; yet he couldn't see anyone and all the cameras were obviously turned off. Dexter took the rearguard and was now walking backwards, blaster in aiming position. They moved silently through the dark building and nothing looked strange, apart from the lack of personnel. "I don't like this. No signs of a fight, neither bullet holes nor corpses. Something is just not right here" Dexter whispered. He felt his whole body tensing; he'd rather be facing someone now than walking around these creepy halls.

As they rounded another corner they found themselves in room that looked like some kind of research lab. Dexter closed the door behind them and holstered his blaster before he took a look around. The room was in the same color as the rest of the building yet it had more lights in it which made it appear less disturbing. There was a smaller room inside the lab that had an entrance that was shaped like a door but there was none. It was just a gap in the wall actually. "Maybe there's something on those computers" Dexter mentioned and moved towards what seemed like the main server of the station. He inserted a device that would create a copy of the server's hard-drive and started browsing through the files stored on it.

Meanwhile Fox and Krystal moved inside the smaller room and peeked around. "I wonder what they use this for. I mean there is just nothing here" Fox wondered as he looked around the room. "I don't know. And I'm not quite sure whether I want to find out, this place scares me. Why is no one here, why are there no signs of _anything_" Krystal whispered. "I still can't sense anyone in here. That is just weird, there is nothing here that would cover any thought patterns" she explained rather angered. She felt help- and useless right now.

"Um, guys I think I've got something here" Dexter called from across the room sounding rather startled. But just as the two vulpines were about to exit the small spare room a wall of light appeared before them. Fox ran right into it and was knocked down to the ground. "Ouch! You think that's funny Dexter?" Fox growled. The raven looked up from the screen in front of him with a questioning look on his face. "I didn't trigger anything here. Did you step on something?" as asked. Krystal inspected the floor around where Fox was sitting now. "No, there is nothing here. What does that mean?" she asked a bit frightened. "That we're not alone" Fox hissed. Just as he had said the door to the lab swung open which caused Dexter to spin around and pull his blaster into aiming position in the process. But when he realized what, or rather who, was standing in front of him, all color faded from his face.

A raven in dark clothing stood in front of him and before Dexter could even think of anything to say, a dark and somehow twisted voice spoke "Hello my dear brother!"

* * *

Meanwhile Peppy and Slippy were getting more and more concerned. They lost Fox's signal when they entered the building and not one of the ground team had reported in so far. Slippy kept adjusting his position in the chair he was in while Peppy' eyes got darker with every passing minute. "Something bad is going on down there" the elder hare whispered.

* * *

"T-T-Terry?" Dexter's voice seemed to have completely lost its strength. He stood there, paralyzed, and could not quite belief what he saw. But he would never forget that voice although it had a twisted nuance to it. "B-But you are…" his voice failed its duty once more. "Dead?" the other raven finished for him and a spine-chilling laughter escaped his throat. "Then how is it possible that I am standing right in front of you now?" Terry said. He was a bit taller than Dexter but it was obvious that they were family. They had the same eyes yet Terry's had no hint of the serenity Dexter had in his gray-blue eyes. Instead they showed madness, power-hunger and chaos. "I see my little brother has made some famous friends" Terry exclaimed as he noticed Fox and Krystal in the cell they were now in. Dexter was still unable to move and he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that his elder brother was alive. "And here I thought my brother turned into a loner after my tragic death" Terry said and another of his sinister laughs filled the otherwise silent room.

Just about then realization hit Dexter's mind. Not only had his brother faked his death but also had been watching him without calling or a note that he was alive. Dexter holstered his blaster again and his voice seemed to have regained some of its former strength. "So Andross didn't kill you" the younger raven hisses. "Why, thanks for pointing out the obvious! You always had a nick for that, little brother" Terry said with a smirk on his face. Dexter decided to ignore that comment. "And you didn't deem it necessary to inform me of your survival? You watched me suffer and did nothing about it?" he barked, rage slowly replacing the initial shock. "As far as I remember you couldn't stand other people's suffering" he went on. Terry just smiled. "That was before the master opened my eyes!" he almost yelled in insane admiration. "What master?" Dexter asked; the former shock in his eyes completely replaced by rage. Terry lowered his head while his pupils almost turned inside his head which left only the white eyeball. With an insane grin he shouted out one word:

"**Andross**!"

Upon hearing that name Dexter's expression turn from shock and a little joy that his brother was alive into pure hatred. It seemed like his whole body screamed for blood right then. "You. Are .Not. My. Brother" was all Dexter was able to say due to the anger coursing through him. "Is that so? Well, if it is then I have no use for you!" Terry scoffed. Something inside Dexter snapped; every bit of pity he might have had for his lost brother was replaced by contempt and anger. Without thinking about it he leapt towards his brother while his hands made their way to each end of his head in order to snap his neck. But before he could do his bloody task, Terry shoved his hands away and kicked Dexter in the stomach, sending him a few feet away. With both ravens taking battle stances their deadly dance begun.

They circled each other for what seemed like hours, neither of them wanted to let their guards down. Their faces showed no emotion just pure focus on what they were doing. Suddenly Dexter leapt forward and spun around in order to land a back-hand knuckle punch on Terry's temple. Terry side-stepped and slammed his knee into Dexter's kidney, sending him to the ground choking. "Pathetic. Remember, you could never defeat me. Stop fighting what's inside your blood and join me!" the mad raven screamed while he moved closer to his brother. Still on his knees, Dexter let his brother approach until he was inches away from him. All of a sudden Dexter jumped up from his position and placed an uppercut directly under his brother's chin which made Terry fly a little through the room. He landed with his spine on rim of a table and let out a painful growl. As Dexter approached Terry again he failed to notice his hand reaching for his belt. As Dexter got close enough for another punch, Terry's right hand dashed forward and a sharp pain went through the right side of Dexter's head. His mere instincts forced him to close his eyes just before the impact. He jumped back and felt some kind of liquid running down his features. He moved his hand up and noticed it was actually blood. He looked back to Terry and noticed a bloody knife in his hand. _That will leave a s__car. And obviously my brother i__s serious in his attempt to kill me. I'm sorry, bro. _With that all the very last bit of hesitation vanished.

Terry approached Dexter once more, a wicked grin on his face. Suddenly he leapt forward and jabbed his knife towards his stomach. Yet Dexter saw it coming and managed to grab his brother's wrist and twisted it violently which resulted in an awful cracking sound and Terry dropping the knife while he yelled in pain. Dexter however gave him no time to recover. Still holding a firm grip on his brother's broken wrist he hammered his other fist into his chest hoping to hit his solar plexus. As Terry broke down gasping for air, Dexter moved close to him and whispered into his ear "If you're lucky you will find it hard to breath for the next two weeks. If not, you'll die in approximately half an hour". His defeated brother's eyes widened in horror "You wouldn't kill your own flesh and blood, would you?" all superiority in his voice was gone.

"My brother died 8 years ago" was all he got for an answer.


End file.
